Senior Member

The following citation is from one of my favorite references, Dictionary.com, which provides several sets of results for each word.
"Effective is applied to that which has the power to, or which actually does, produce an effect: an effective action, remedy, speech. Efficient (applied also to persons) implies the skillful use of energy or industry to accomplish desired results with little waste of effort: efficient methods; an efficient manager."http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/effective

Senior Member

In practice, native English speakers often make very little distinction between these words. I often read of someone or something described as 'effective and efficient', where plainly they're just using the two for the sound of it - they're not really thinking of two clearly distinct meanings. (And I find this very annoying, for the record.)

Senior Member

The following citation is from one of my favorite references, Dictionary.com, which provides several sets of results for each word.
"Effective is applied to that which has the power to, or which actually does, produce an effect: an effective action, remedy, speech. Efficient (applied also to persons) implies the skillful use of energy or industry to accomplish desired results with little waste of effort: efficient methods; an efficient manager."http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/effective

Senior Member

I humbly beg to differ. I believe effective is the word. Having a small experience myself with home canning, I know that it works (is effective) but I'm also aware that it requires an enormous amount of energy (both fuel and muscle/time).

Senior Member

I humbly beg to differ. I believe effective is the word. Having a small experience myself with home canning, I know that it works (is effective) but I'm also aware that it requires an enormous amount of energy (both fuel and muscle/time).